Disabled cheated of artificial limb donations

JAKARTA (JP): A group of disabled people accused the Ministry of Social Services' Jakarta office on Monday of embezzling funds allocated to procure artificial legs for the handicapped.

Azwardi Ujang, head of Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Advocating Committee for the Disabled, said the city office had asked last month the group to purchase 10 low-quality artificial limbs for between Rp 1.4 million (US$127.27) and Rp 1.7 million each.

"Actually the appendages should have been free of charge since the project was funded by donations from local companies," he said.

Ujang said the artificial legs were half of a supply of 20 limbs to be given to the disabled under the supervision of the committee. Those designated to receive the legs had also had been measured.

"But instead of providing the limbs free of charge, the office demanded we purchase them."

The office insisted the group pay for the artificial limbs even though all of the recipients complained that the price was too high, he said.

An official at PT Indoraya, which produced the artificial legs, later told Ujang that a standard quality limb retailed for Rp 1.8 million each.

Ujang explained that when the social services office ordered the limbs, it quoted a much lower figure than the price for standard quality limbs on grounds that it also had to cover administrative and other expenses.

The artificial legs to be given to the recipients cost only Rp 300,000 each, he claimed, saying they had been made of unrecommended materials like plastic pipe, foam rubber and sheet iron.

Standard quality limbs are made of fiber plastic, high quality rubber and steel.

Gatot Bimo, another representative of the committee, said the case was an example of how the social services office was not paying attention to the safety and health of the handicapped.

"We feel humiliated because our safety is not being considered. They're only thinking of how to make more money," Gatot said.

He said the group would return all of the limbs to the office and demand they be provided with standard quality units.

The office could not be reached for comment on Monday. (ind)